Mass discharger for a container such as a silo, including a jointed conveyer operating from above

ABSTRACT

A mass discharger for discharging a bulk mass from a container, such as a silo. The discharger includes a scraper conveyor jointed next to the edge of the side of the discharge end of the container and extending essentially the length of the container and over the edge. The scraper conveyor includes an endless conveyor chain having attached scrapers and a second joint between longitudinal ends of the chain such that the scraper conveyor rests against the discharge side and the bottom of the container while it is emptying it from the upper surface of the bulk mass. The discharger includes lifting devices for raising the scraper conveyor to an upper position for filling of the silo.

The invention relates to a discharger for discharging peat or other bulkmass from a container, like a silo, and which includes a transfer memberthat moves the mass from an upper surface of the mass to outside thesilo or other container.

Peat is known to be a material that is difficult to store. It easilytends to arch onto the sides of the silo, so that discharge devices onthe bottom of the silo only form a hollow inside the peat mass. Inwinter in particular arching is a very great problem, which attemptshave been made to overcome by means of heating and vibration.

There are also known discharge devices operating from above, which mayconsist of, for example, a screw conveyor installed in the middle of ahigh cylindrical storage tank. In this case too, however, there is adanger of arching as the screw eats a hollow in the middle of the mass.For a low silo in particular, there is nothing else available thandischargers that operate from below.

The present invention provides a new kind of discharger that operatesfrom above, which does not have the drawbacks mentioned above and whichtherefore operates reliably in winter too. The characteristic featuresof a discharger in accordance with the invention are presented in theappended claims. A discharger in accordance with the invention operatesso reliably that it can also be used as a batcher. The size of the batchcan then be controlled by means of the speed of rotation of the scraperconveyor. With the aid of a discharger in accordance with the inventionit is also possible to fill a low silo up to the brim, as the rotatingscraper conveyor levels the mass deposited in the silo.

In what follows the invention is illustrated by reference to theaccompanying figures, which show one discharger in accordance with theinvention in connection with a sludge treatment unit.

FIG. 1 shows a cross-section of a silo equipped with a discharger inaccordance with the invention.

FIGS. 2a and 2b show side and top views of a separate scraper conveyor.

FIG. 3 shows the installation of a silo including a discharger inaccordance with the invention in connection with a sludge treatmentunit.

Referring to the drawings in detail, a silo 1 is constructed on acasette base 2. The side 1.2 of the discharge end and the base 1.1 ofthe silo are marked separately. The top of the silo 1 includes a coverconstruction 7, in which there is a feed opening and sides 9 runninground it. A disk screen 8 is arranged inside the silo, next to theopening. A scraper conveyor 4, which is shown in three differentpositions in FIG. 1, is connected by means of joint 3 formed in axle 23next to the discharge opening in the cover construction 7. The situationshown by a solid line shows the silo empty and the position K shows thesilo full, while one intermediate position is drawn between them.

The scraper conveyor 4 consists of moving scrapers 4.1 and a joint 5,which makes it possible to turn the scraper conveyor against the sides1.2 and the bottom 1.1. The Figure shows the auxilliary wheel 6 requiredin the jointing. The scraper conveyor rotates in such a way that itslower part moves in the direction of the side 1.2 and the mass is thusscraped from the surface over the edge of the silo to the conveyor 12.The scrapers 4.1 are of L-section steel welded to a chain 17. Othershapes such as T-section can be used, but it is advantageous to set thefree flange or the hollow of the scraper against the mass, in which caseit can tear open the surface of a frozen mass.

During filling, the scraper conveyor is raised into position K by meansof the raising device 10 and cables 11 and is then started. As the massdrops from the feed opening through the disk screen 8 and the scraperconveyor 4, the scraper conveyor levels the mass in the silo 1 andachieves the precise filling of the entire silo 1.

During operation, the scraper conveyor is not attached other than at thejointing 3 and it rests its own weight on top of the peat mass in thesilo.

FIGS. 2a and 2b show the construction of the scraper conveyor in greaterdetail. In the Figures the right side of the scrape conveyor is cut andin reality it is longer than the left side. The scraper conveyor 4 isprincipally formed by chains 17 rotating around guide rollers 15 and 16on axles 23 and 25 and of scrapers 4.1 attached to them. The axle 23 ofthe front guide roller 15 is attached to the cover structure 7 bybracket 14 are the axle is rotated by means of motor 22, which isinstalled on the wall of the silo 1.

The above-mentioned guide rollers 15 and 16 are attached by bearings tothe frame components 18 and 19, which are in turn mutually jointed bymeans of joint 5 formed in axle 24. Auxiliary 20 is located on this axleof joint 5 and auxiliary wheel 6 is located on support structure 21 inthe region of this above the chain a little in the direction of thedischarging end. Auxiliary wheel 6 forces the chains to travelessentially through the point of change of direction.

Silo discharge in accordance with the invention can be used for manykinds of purposes. An example of this is the arrangement in accordancewith FIG. 3, in which silo 1 is located in connection with a sewagetreatment unit 13. From on top of the silo 1 the disk screen and thedeflection plates surrounding it are seen through the feed opening.Lifting device 10, which, if necessary, raises the scraper conveyorthrough cables 11, is located on top of the covered silo. The measuredamount of the peat mass is transferred to the sewage treatment unit 13by means of the conveyor belt 12.

The discharger in accordance with the invention can naturally be usedfor the movement of masses of nearly all kinds.

I claim:
 1. A mass discharger for discharging a bulk mass from acontainer, said container having a bottom and upstanding sides with aninterior length extending to a discharge end formed by a sloping sidewith an upper edge, said discharger including a support structuresupporting said discharger, operating devices for operating saiddischarger and a transfer device for moving an upper surface of the massto outside said container, characterized in that said transfer device isa scraper conveyor articulated by a first joint next to said edge andextending essentially for said length of said container and over saidedge, said scraper conveyor including an endless conveyor chain havingattached scrapers and extending to longitudinally opposite ends of saidscraper conveyor, and a second joint spaced from said first joint andintermediate said longitudinal ends such that the scraper conveyor restsagainst said side adjacent to the first joint and against said bottom ofthe container when it is empty, said scraper conveyor including firstand second longitudinal frame components of which said first framecomponent is jointed by said first joint near said edge and said secondframe component is jointed to said first frame component by said secondjoint, a guide wheel located above said scraper conveyor in the area ofsaid second joint but offset slightly toward said first joint to turnthe conveyor chain when the scraper conveyor bends at the second joint,and said discharger includes lifting devices for raising said scraperconveyor to an upper position for filling said container.
 2. Adischarger in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that said firstjoint includes a first axle and bearing, by which said axle is carriedin said support structure, said first axle also being linked by bearingsto said first frame component, and said operating devices include adrive motor arranged to rotate said first axle and a guide wheel on saidaxle driving said chain of the scraper conveyor.
 3. A discharger inaccordance with claim 2, characterized in that said second jointincludes a second axle extending through adjoining ends of both framecomponents and permitting them to pivot mutually, and that said secondaxle carries an auxiliary wheel supporting said chain of the scraperconveyor at said second joint.
 4. A discharger in accordance with claim1, characterized in that said lifting devices include pulling devicesconnected by cables to the second frame component.
 5. A discharger inaccordance with claim 1, characterized in that said scrapers are spacedlongitudinally along the scraper conveyor to permit filling of thecontainer through the scraper conveyor from the top.
 6. A discharger inaccordance with claim 1, characterized in that the scrapers of thescraper conveyor are formed from L or T steel section.